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Nazareth Then and Now
Ancient Nazareth lacked the critical advantages for its development as a significant settlement: abundant water supply, an elevated site for defensive purposes, and strategic location adjacent to a major highway. The most comprehensive recent study of the archeology of ancient Nazareth and its local region was completed by Ken Dark over several seasons between 2004…
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The oldest hatred
Presentation to a panel discussion sponsored by the Jewish Council of Australia at St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane on Monday, 29 September 2025. The topic of the event was: Should anti-Semitism be exceptionalised or should we combat all forms of racism together? Co-hosts for the event included: Doykeit (a local Jewish group in Brisbane), St John’s…
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The final lectionary notes
Friends: The lectionary notes just published for the Feast of Christ the King (23 November 2014) will be the last of my regular weekly lectionary posts. I have been preparing and distributing these notes since 2002, so it seems time to conclude this weekly task and focus my energies on other projects. The complete set…
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Christ the King (23 November 2014)
Contents 1 Lectionary 2 The Reign of Christ — Judgment Day 2.1 Jewish parallels 2.2 Critical scholarship 2.3 Tolstoy, Where Love Is, God Is 3 Jesus Database 4 Liturgies and Prayers 4.1 Music Suggestions Lectionary Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 & Psalm 100 [Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 & Psalm 95:1-7a] Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 The Reign of Christ…
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Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (16 November 2014)
Contents 1 Lectionary 2 Waiting for God’s son from heaven 2.1 The parousia of the Lord 2.2 Like a thief in the night 3 Jesus Database 4 Liturgies and Prayers 4.1 Music Suggestions Lectionary Judges 4:1-7 & Psalm 123 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30 Waiting for God’s son from heaven From very early times, Christians…
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Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost (9 November 2014)
Contents 1 Lectionary 2 First Reading: Renewing the covenant 3 1 Thessalonans 4: Facing death as Easter people 3.1 Robert Jewett 3.2 Willi Marxsen 3.3 Joseph Plevnik 3.4 Karl P. Donfried 3.5 John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed 4 Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13 5 Jesus Database 6 Liturgies and Prayers 6.1 Music Suggestions Lectionary Joshua…
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Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (2 November 2014)
Contents 1 Lectionary 2 Thessalonica in the time of Paul 2.1 Location 2.2 History 2.3 Population and religion 3 Diatribe against the Pharisees 4 Jesus Database 5 Liturgies and Prayers 5.1 Music Suggestions Lectionary Joshua 3:7-17 & Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37 [Micah 3:5-12 & Psalm 43] 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12 Thessalonica in the time of…
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Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (25 October 2014)
Contents 1 Lectionary 2 First Reading: Death of Moses 3 Second Reading: Church as religious club 3.1 Collegia and Koina in the early Christian movement 3.2 Categories of voluntary associations 3.3 The Island of Delos 3.4 Paul and the koinonia of Christ 4 Gospel: Jesus and the Pharisees 4.1 The greatest commandment 4.2 Son of…
